By Shawn Logan
The Eagle
Permanent water and sewer servicing for Bow Valley High school will likely be in place by the fall, thanks to last week’s Municipal Government Board (MGB) ruling that may spark construction on the nearby Cochrane Crossing Development.
The ruling on an appeal by Keyland Development Corp. of its subdivision approval from the town appears to have satisfied both sides who say construction on the south side of the Bow River could begin this summer.
According to Frank Wesseling, Cochrane’s director of planning and engineering, if construction does begin, it will likely be an easy step for Bow Valley to tie into the water and sewer lines that are most easily accessible via Keyland’s property.
“We would like to see development on that side of the river and get services to the high school,” Wesseling said. “It was always intended that Phase 1 (of Cochrane Crossing) and the high school would happen at the same time so services would be there for both.”
Bow Valley has had to rely on trucking in water and trucking out sewage since it opened its doors in the fall of 2000.
The sewer line sits on Keyland property only metres from the school while the water line must be extended across the Bow River.
Alberta Municipal Affairs had been working with the town and Keyland to come up with a servicing agreement after the province announced last year it would kick in $2 million to furnish the school with permanent water and sewer services.
The province said it expected to recover the money in the future from Keyland.
But Wesseling said with the MGB ruling in place, and construction set to begin, negotiations with the province are moot and the services will likely be available to Bow Valley as Keyland will have to upgrade servicing for its future development.
And with St. Mary’s Catholic Church set to build a new facility, as well as a seniors’ lodge at the corner of Highway 22 and River Heights Drive, they will also require servicing and will likely work with Keyland.
“We hope (Keyland will) pursue it very quickly. There could be a lot of action there,” he said.
Hugh Ham, a lawyer for Keyland, said construction will likely begin this summer on the site and could allow Bow Valley to hook into the existing lines.
He said the town jumped the gun by approving the school before development had begun on the Keyland property, leaving it isolated with no ability to have its own water and sewer servicing.
“Somehow, somebody decided to put a school there,” Ham said.
Christine Skjerven, a spokesperson for municipal affairs, said everything still remains on pace for the servicing to be ready by the fall.

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By Shawn Logan
The Eagle
A ruling last week by the provincial Municipal Government Board (MGB) may pave the way for construction to begin on the long-delayed Cochrane Crossing development south of the Bow River but a lawsuit targeting the town will likely go ahead.
The MGB agreed to hear an appeal from Keyland Development Corp. after the town imposed a number of conditions on its development permit in 2003.
Keyland balked at the town’s insistence that the developer cover a $6.5 million bridge through off-site levies, as well as the town denying access to Phase 1 of the development via River Heights Drive due to an agreement with the Municipal District of Rocky View and Alberta Transportation.
Last November, Keyland filed a $58 million lawsuit against the town, two of its staffers and the M.D. alleging a “civil conspiracy” to prevent Keyland from using River Heights Drive, forcing it to build a bridge.
After a week-long hearing in February, the MGB took longer than usual to rule on the appeal, which was made public May 18.
Both the town and Keyland Development Corp. say the ruling is fair and may allow development on the site to begin after sitting in limbo for four years.
“I think the developer’s position was upheld and the town’s was not,” assessed Keyland’s lawyer Hugh Ham May 20. “At some point, somebody from the town has to reach out to the developer and say, ‘let’s talk.’”
Keyland successfully pushed to have the MGB hold the hearing after the town argued the matter fell within the jurisdiction of its Subdivision and Development Appeal Board.
The ruling lifts the road ban on River Heights Drive but it must be upgraded to accommodate more use. Originally, the town had required Keyland to upgrade the road from the River Avenue Bridge to the site.
According to the ruling, “The MGB finds that the alternate access using River Avenue Bridge is not only impractical but may not be possible.”
The ruling also lifted the town’s requirement for Keyland to pay a “community enhancement” levy of $2,500 per acre.
A further requirement from the Cochrane Planning Commission restricting front-drive access on the subdivision’s main road was also lifted by the MGB.
But the town claimed victory on the MGB’s position that the provincial body has no authority to change the town’s off-site levy bylaw for a new bridge.
Frank Wesseling, the town’s director of planning and engineering, said the ruling upholds the town’s right to require developers to build necessary infrastructure.
“Essentially, what the board did is substantiate the town’s position in terms of the subdivision, including off-site levies,” Wesseling said. “We’re very pleased that the decision has been made and hopefully now we can proceed.”
The MGB stated in its ruling that it could not consider the off-site levies for the bridge because it didn’t fall under its jurisdiction.
Wesseling acknowledged that Keyland’s planned legal action is not likely to change with the ruling.
“I’m not sure if the lawsuit is even related to the decision made here by the MGB,” he said.
However, Wesseling noted the town is in the process of reviewing its Comprehensive Development Plan, which establishes what infrastructure is required by the town and how it’s paid for.
“Off-site levies are always under review,” Wesseling said. “The town is certainly undertaking a review, including the bridge (levy).”
He noted council would likely see a recommendation from the review by the fall.
Despite possible changes to the levy, Ham said the lawsuit will still move forward because of losses suffered by Keyland while the town awaited an annexation deal with Rocky View. He said the town upheld the road ban on River Heights Drive to force Keyland to build a bridge that will be needed in the future.
“I expect most negotiations will be conducted in front of a judge,” Ham said. “The cost of what the town wanted to do was staggering; we’re talking million and millions of dollars. I don’t think anybody grasps just how massive a blunder the town’s administration has led this council into.”

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By Sarah Junkin
The Eagle
A social studies class focusing on foreign aid and its effectiveness has turned the project into a major fundraiser for a Zimbabwe hospital.
Teacher Nancy Dutchik’s Grade 11 honours class at Cochrane High school has been finding out how to get involved in raising awareness of Third World countries since Easter.
The class split into groups and one of them, led by Travis Kelter, 16, decided to raise funds for the Salvation Army Howard Hospital in Glendale, Zimbabwe.
The hospital made headlines in Canada earlier this year when conjoined twin babies born there were transferred to Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children where they were successfully separated.
Howard Hospital is a clinical care and teaching facility led by Canadian physician Paul Thistle. Ninety per cent of his patients are suffering from serious HIV-related conditions.
It operates on a shoestring budget helped by funding from the Canadian Salvation Army Church, of which Kelter’s grandmother is a member.
“That’s how I got interested in this,” he said. “We began by raising money from private donations from friends, and recently we went to Wal-Mart and set up a booth with a kettle.”
The group has thus far raised $1,300 for the hospital.
Kelter, who hopes to be a veterinarian one day, said he learned more about the pressing concerns of Third World countries during the course of the project than just the importance of fundraising.
“I learned how HIV/AIDS has taken its toll on the labour force, and on healthcare, and the problems of getting aid to the right place when there’s corrupt governments,” he said.
“We looked at gender inequalities and famine and how all these things work together and the effect it’s had on the world,” he added.
Kelter said anyone wishing to make a contribution to the hospital may do so by contacting the Salvation Army at 284-9380. Tax receipts will be supplied.

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By Shawn Logan
The Eagle
Wild Rose MP Myron Thompson vowed the Conservatives will continue to hold the federal Liberals to task in the wake of last week’s razor thin budget vote that saw the government narrowly avoid being forced to call an election.
“I think they should be kept under the gun and under fire,” said the Tory MP. “We have every reason in the world to take them down.”
However, Thompson said the Conservatives will back away from some of its more aggressive tactics and focus on items ignored by the Liberals.
“We’ve got to start fighting for the things missing from this budget,” he said. “Agriculture doesn’t seem to be addressed at all. We’ve got to work hard at getting the positive changes that need to be made.”
On May 19, MPs voted 152-152 on a budget motion that could have toppled the government. House Speaker Peter Milliken broke the impasse, voting with the ruling party in keeping with parliamentary tradition.
Thompson continued to fume over Ontario MP Belinda Stronach’s defection to the Liberals mere days before the crucial budget vote.
“We were set to take (the government) down. That’s what we agreed to in caucus, even her,” Thompson said May 23. “Self-ambition is not very virtuous. I don’t need any lessons from her on ethics.”
Stronach was named minister of human resources and democratic renewal after jumping to the Liberals on May 17. She said she wasn’t happy the Conservatives joined the Bloc Québecois on the confidence vote.
Thompson wouldn’t speculate on how the vote would have played out had Stronach remained a Tory, but noted, “She certainly was a major player in the outcome.”
While Thompson and his Conservative colleagues railed against Stronach’s move, the defection was welcomed by Judy Stewart, president of the Wild Rose Liberal association. She said the move will allow the government to move forward with a budget that will benefit all Canadians.
“That was exciting. It’s the best week I’ve ever seen in politics,” Stewart said May 24. “I’m disappointed in the Conservatives and the way they cosied up to the Bloc Québecois who, in my mind, are separatists.”
Stewart lauded the co-operation between the Liberals and New Democratic Party, which agreed to help prop up the government in exchange for $4.6 billion in social spending over the next two years.
“I’m very happy to see what ended up happening between the NDP and the Liberals,” she said. “I’m just glad the government came together with the NDP and put together a better budget than before.”

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By Shawn Logan
The Eagle
Rocky View School Division students will see a slight increase in instructional supplies fees in the fall, but trustees agreed May 12 to curb fees for students in lower grades.
Trustees heard students in Grades 1 to 4 are paying slightly more than those in surrounding school districts, prompting a reduction from $71 per year to $50.
Fees for students in Grades 5 to 8 will be raised by $1 to $72 per year and those in Grades 9 to 12 will see fees jump from $102 to $104 per year.
Annual fee limits for families jumped from $219 to $225.
Band instrument rental fees increased from $130 to $150.
Trustee John Murray questioned if the fees reached beyond what was needed to properly educate students.
“It does not even offset all of our costs,” responded Secretary/Treasurer Darrell Couture. “Each student more than consumes this amount of dollars in consumable instructional supplies and materials.”
Murray said it is difficult for parents to continue to pay more and yet see no improvement on what is available.
“People are paying more taxes and you get no more value in school per child,” he said. “You just have to make people aware of this thing, that we can’t get you more even though you pay more.”
The fees cover textbooks, photocopying and other supplies.

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By Warren Harbeck
Last week’s column told the story of apology and forgiveness in the life of Bill McLean, elder and former chief of the Bearspaw band of the Stoney Nakoda First Nation, and now an ambassador for healing in a fractured world.
I wish you could read all the thoughtful responses I received. One coffee companion even said she cried when she read the column.
What I’ve decided to do instead is quote from one response in particular. It’s from Annette Johnston, originally from Australia and now doing her part here in the Bow Valley to improve relations between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians.
As I mentioned last week, Canada’s May 26 National Day of Healing and Reconciliation was inspired by Australia’s Sorry Day. It is out of Annette’s concern for healing between Australia’s Aboriginal peoples and the wider community there that she developed an interest in the Canadian scene.
Since relocating to our area four years ago, she has met regularly with Stoney elders. She credits them with teaching her about principles of reconciliation on our own shores. Here is some of what she wrote:
To me, the elders exemplify the values we will need in order to succeed in this healing journey: patience, deep listening, humility, thankfulness, humor, reciprocity, acceptance, discernment, resilience, truth and compassion. They have well-developed knowledge and skills, framed in spiritual terms and the imagery of nature, and are acutely aware of any disharmony or imbalance in community. They recognize their part in their situation and yet can “find the gifts in what feels like disaster.”
I think we could negotiate many of our difficulties by looking to the sustaining guidance of elders and our own heart knowledge.
Why are we in Australia and Canada still struggling with this relationship? Reacting to the present as if it were the past? Allowing any contact to remind us of past hurts? If we are “to reconcile,” to be friends, we must move beyond this struggle, as Bill McLean did in your story.
Hopefully we have learned that the way out is not by control, separation, denial, confrontation or “special treatment.” So too, that a heightened sense of fear, guilt or vulnerability only succeeds in rendering us incapable of sound judgment.
We will need to shift from thoughts of welfare and the resulting obligatory dependence, to ones of mutual relationship and reciprocity, ensuring that the Native voice is regularly heard, included and acted upon. We will need to shift from harmful attitudes of superiority to recognition of each culture’s strengths and contributions.
As Bill McLean experienced, the true friendships are the ones that challenge us to grow — through conflict, to forgiveness and renewal.
Our task is to remove the barriers to healing and reconciliation we have set up, and permit our Native neighbors to once again be our guides and touch our lives in a transforming way. To recognize their unique skills takes nothing away from our own identity. We need to resist every thought that does not foster true friendship.
We can transform a tragic story into one of shared purpose and good relationship. We cannot change our past experiences, but we can choose to change our response to them, so that our future relationship does not become an extension of the past. We can choose to focus on our potential, rather than on our limitations and failings.
Despite all that has happened, we need to find the humility and courage to face each other again with honesty, and to walk forward together.
— Annette Johnston, Cochrane
A further note on Annette’s background: “I am the daughter of Hungarian Jewish parents who immigrated to Australia during the Nazi regime, after many in the family were murdered,” she wrote. Her grandfather, a Holocaust survivor, is her role model for forgiveness and reconciliation. “It is thanks to his influence and teachings,” she said, “that I have never hated Germans.”
(c) 2005 Warren Harbeck
warren@harbeck.ca.

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By Sarah Junkin
I’m not terribly interested in fishing as a sport, though I am partial to a nice piece of salmon poached in a dill sauce, or a fresh trout that’s been stuffed with a couscous almond paste and lightly grilled in a drizzle of apricot.
But lately the millions of fishermen (and women) who make these culinary delights possible have been dubbed “cruel” by animal lovers around the world.
And the findings of a team of researchers from the University of Guelph have added fuel to a debate that’s been raging for decades, one that pits angler against activist.
The scientists say fish feel fear like us, that they’re “deep thinkers,” and that they’ll go to great lengths to avoid being frightened.
Now I’ve seen a fair number of fish in my time, and I must say that when I look at their slimy, scaly bodies, their beady little eyes and hapless, gaping mouths, the phrase “deep thinker” doesn’t immediately spring to mind. Mind you, that could be said of some humans I know as well, so personal appearance may not be the best indicator of intelligence.
Ian Duncan, a professor of poultry and animal science who led the Guelph team, explained his experiment involved chasing some specially chosen fish subjects through a long tank with a net, allowing them to eventually escape through a small doorway.
Eventually the researchers stopped chasing the fish and flashed a light at them instead, thus tricking them into thinking they were still being chased. Since the fish came to associate light with being pursued, it proved, researchers say, they indeed have a memory.
“That tells us that it’s not just a reflexive movement, but that the fish are frightened, and they prefer not being frightened,” said Duncan.
Well, I can’t help thinking that if they do have a memory, it can’t be a very good one. Angelers often report catching the same fish over and over in the course of a day.
But English researchers agree with Duncan and say they believe fish actually have pain receptors in their heads.
They injected bee venom into the lips of their unlucky subjects, and the fish began to show diverse effects, including a “rocking motion,” similar to that seen in other stressed out creatures, including humans.
They also rubbed their lips on the gravel on the bottom of their tanks in an unhappy way, and took a long time to relax, according to Dr. Lynne Sneddon, who headed up the English project.
Needless to say, animal activists around the world are outraged. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are trying to ban fishing altogether. Their Fish Empathy project has gained momentum and support from all over the world.
PETA Manager Karin Robertson wrote to newspaper editors all over North America pleading with them to discontinue publishing fishing columns.
“You wouldn’t dedicate space in your paper to the recreational abuse of dogs and cats, yet the fishing column encourages cruelty to animals every bit as capable of feeling pain as any dog or cat,” she wrote.
Since we live on the banks of one of the most highly regarded rivers in the world for fishing, a ban would presumably have a significant impact.
Many species including trout, pike and whitefish thrive in the Bow River due to the huge variety of plants which grow in it. Fishermen come from all over for the Alberta fishing experience.
But maybe PETA doesn’t really have to worry, because according to Bruce Roberts, of Roberts’ Fly Shop and Fishing Co., the popularity of fishing as a sport has been declining steadily for years.
“The 20-something generation is into more active sports,” he said. “Fishing, like hunting, is not a huge sport any more.”
He explained that though he believes fish feel pain to some degree, most fishermen in this area aren’t at all interested in harming them, but in experiencing the other positive benefits of the sport.
“Fishing has a Zen-like aspect,” he said. “It’s one of the few sports that’s non-competitive and that you can do all by yourself.”
It’s also become more affordable in recent years, according to Roberts.
“The elitist aspect went away a long time ago. Nowadays you can easily get started for only $200,” he said.
Well, I’m not convinced fish feel pain the way we do, but a sport that gets us outside in this beautiful province of ours, calms us and generally slows down our busy lives, surely can’t be all that bad.
sarah@cochraneeagle.com.

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By Stephanie Reid
Special to The Eagle
The plans of Bow Valley High school students came together in an Aboriginal Day celebration featuring an elder, dancers and authentic food May 20.
It commenced with a prayer from an Aboriginal elder from Morley. Multiple forms of dance were performed by many of Bow Valley’s Aboriginal students, with an additional couple of younger dancers. All the dances were accompanied by drummers and songs.
To end the celebration, everyone took part in a round dance and the Aboriginal elder said a final closing prayer.
Preceding and following the event, students and staff had a chance to try Indian tacos made by members of the Morley community.
The purpose of the celebration was to showcase Aboriginal students’ talents and culture for their peers. Those who took part in the celebration got a chance to see the Aboriginals’ major form of entertainment that has been carried on for centuries: dancing. Fancy dancing and jingle dancing were the two main forms observed, and the steps were complicated. It was easy to tell the performers have been doing this all their lives. The round dance is simple and beautiful, and can be performed by anyone. Everyone joins hands and moves around in a circle using a few uncomplicated steps. The purpose is to promote solidarity.
Close to half the students and staff at Bow Valley took part in the celebration, and those with whom I spoke to got a lot out of it.
“I was not as aware of the Aboriginals’ culture as I am now. This was a lot of fun!” stated one female student.
Members of the Students for Change committee, along with other groups, helped make this day a reality for everyone.
The overall experience was beneficial to all who took part. Such events are an important part of maintaining Canada’s own unique culture and remaining a multicultural society. For Bow Valley High, this was an important event — this was the school’s first major Aboriginal Day celebration and, hopefully, it will be the beginning of an annual event to make students more aware of the cultures of those around them.
National Aboriginal Day is actually June 21, but due to exams, having the celebration that day was not possible.
National Aboriginal Day was first celebrated by the Assembly of First Nations in 1982, but was not considered a national holiday until 1996. The summer solstice is also June 21 so this day holds cultural significance for First Nations people, and many of them take this as a day to celebrate their heritage.
Several of the Aboriginal students at Bow Valley have been attending conferences throughout the school year designed specifically to deal with racism and multiculturalism, and early last week they attended an Aboriginal film workshop.
These students put on the celebration at Bow Valley as a way to bring what they have learned into their lives and community. Mike Dang was the facilitator of the endeavour and attended conferences with the students.
Mr. Dang has taken an interest in the Aboriginal students.
“Growing up, I always showed great interest in other cultures except for my own,” he said. “As I got older, I found solace and strength in rediscovering my own roots. I hope to help and guide my students through their own journey, and hopefully they can use their own culture to overcome life’s challenges.”
The day was fabulous and will not soon be forgotten. It is a moment in Bow Valley’s history that will stand out as an example of excellence, support, commitment, acceptance, and learning that helps make it a wonderful school.
Congratulations to all who planned and participated in this event, and thank you for sharing this day with us.
Stephanie Reid is a Bow Valley High school student.

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More than $900 in local prizes will be awarded May 31 in the sixth annual ATB Financial fundraiser for the Alberta Children’s Hospital.
There are three groups of prizes with the first valued at $500 which includes golf, massage, oil change, pedicure and all sorts of gift certificates for everything from meals to dry cleaning.
The second prize is valued at $250 and includes tanning, movie passes, golf and roses.
The third prize is valued at $150 and includes coffee, dinners and gift cards.
Another part of the fundraiser is a lunch of burgers by BBQs By Me from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 31 at the ATB parking lot.

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